family

Seeing a Divided World Through the Eyes of My Teen

By stork November 4, 2024family2 Comments

Although news, podcasts, blogs, and conversations with friends, family, and coworkers have led me to believe the country is at a breaking point through our divisions, distrust, and uncertainty, I…

From a Journal 23 Years Ago.

By stork June 29, 2024family, UncategorizedNo Comments

Recently I was asked to find a journal I kept when we met twenty-three years ago. In it, I found a passage in which I wrote about a dream I…

Hey Dad. On My Late Father’s Birthday

By stork April 6, 2024family3 Comments

Hey Dad, So much has happened since we last spoke in January 2017. Your grandson has doubled in age since then; he's now 14. With each milestone of his, I…

I’ve gone from “Dad” to “Dude.”

By stork October 18, 2018familyNo Comments

I’ve gone from “Dad” to “Dude.” Although sometimes he keeps it in the family and calls me “Bro.” As in, “Dude! Bro! You don’t know how to dance the Floss?!…

My Father Will Forever Watch Over The Florida Aquarium

By stork October 12, 2018familyNo Comments

I was humbled to be able to take part in the unveiling of an incredible statue honoring my father at the Florida Aquarium this week in Tampa. The Aquarium commissioned…

Approaching the One Year Anniversary of My Father’s Passing

By stork December 7, 2017family2 Comments

My father was dying this time last year. I knew it. He knew it. We all did. The difference though was that he handled the news so much better than…

A Pro and Con to Having Just One Child.

By stork May 1, 2017familyNo Comments

Pro: You only have one mouth to feed. Con: That same mouth often only has one person to talk to. I am his entertainment. I am his captive audience. I…

On Grieving

By stork March 5, 2017family3 Comments

After our son was born I called friends who already had kids and apologized to them for not being more excited for them when they became parents. I didn't know…

Teaching Irony through Sarcasm

By stork March 2, 2017family3 Comments

I have the luxury of working weekends and being able to pick up our son from school most weekdays. I watch with joy as he bounces down the steps…

My Father’s Eulogy

By stork February 1, 2017childhood, family1 Comment

My father passed away on January 2nd of this year. I've had several posts in mind but haven't had the energy to put them down. This is the eulogy I…

A 1980 Tampa Tribune Article Featuring My Father on Parenting

By stork January 22, 2017childhood, familyNo Comments

By BESS ADAMS COLEMAN "With my 5-year-old son, I'm experiencing the greatest love affair I’ve ever had,” said 31-year-old Thom Stork. "There are lots of rocky roads, no question about…

Avoiding the Dad Stereotype

By stork August 26, 2016family1 Comment

Mr. Mom (1983) Directed by Stan Dragoti Shown: Michael Keaton Mr. Mom (1983) Directed by Stan Dragoti Shown: Michael Keaton It’s been nearly seven years that I became a dad.Seven…

Rambling With Flashcards

By stork November 21, 2015familyNo Comments

We recently upped the ante on our nightly single sight word flashcard routine. After recognizing the word on the card before him the boy has to use that word in…

Time… According to a Child

By stork April 3, 2015familyNo Comments

How amazing it must be to have no concept of time? How liberating. Plotting our sons growth alongside the chart of mankind’s evolution, he is close to understanding…

This Christmas… He’s a Believer

By stork December 16, 2014familyNo Comments

This is his fifth Christmas and this year he’s a believer. We took him to see Santa last week. We went to the good one. The Friday night Mall Santa.…

National Adoption Month. Where Do Storks Come From?

By stork November 25, 2014family1 Comment

“Father?” Said the almost five year old. “Listen, there is something I’ve been thinking about. You and I have been watching a lot of classic television programing lately. Shows like…

His First Joke

By stork November 11, 2014familyNo Comments

For the first time in his life he has come up with something funny. Months later he still calls back to it. And it is funny.He’s had funny moments before.…

My Son. My Chronological Yardstick

By stork September 2, 2014familyNo Comments

Every memorable event in my life that happened before the spring of 2010 is filed away in my brain with a five-year buffer. My mental calendar from the era before…

On Father’s Day

By stork June 12, 2014familyNo Comments

I used to give lip service on Father's Day. Cards were sent and thanks were given and the love was spread around as abundantly and efficiently as I could spread…

The Beat Poets Taught Me How to Talk to a Four Year Old

By stork April 8, 2014family1 Comment

Many days during my college decade were spent studying the Beat Poets and experimenting with stream-of-consciousness prose. We turned words cut from the newspapers into dialog and had nonsense talks…

He Already Thinks He’s Smarter Than Me

By stork March 23, 2014family, Familylife1 Comment

He's only four and he already thinks he's smarter than I am. He's learned how to give the look that says, “Seriously? I wasn't born yesterday you know?” I give…

On Fatherhood: Almost 40 With a 4 Year Old

By stork February 26, 2014family, FamilylifeNo Comments

How different his world is in 2014 than mine was when I was his age in 1978. This is the blessing of the late blooming father. Had I begun the…

I Fear My Son Will Think I Don’t Read

By stork October 28, 2013family, FamilylifeNo Comments

I fear my son will think I don't read... or listen to music... or vacuum since that task has been assigned to the robot. It's been years since I bought…

Though We May Not Share Blood

By stork July 24, 2013family2 Comments

Since his birth in 2010, I’ve wondered when we would start seeing our traits in him. Without the blood bond biological children share with their parents I’ve been anxious to…

You Say You Want A Revolution?

By stork June 20, 2013family, FamilylifeNo Comments

There will certainly be a time in our son's life where he will think he is cooler than us and rebel against the way we chose to raise him. He…

It Puts the Lotion on the Skin or Possible Parenting Fail.

By stork June 12, 2013familyNo Comments

For a few years now (well, specifically since January 2010), I've been quoting a particular scene from a particular horror movie during a particular time in the post-bath pre-story time…

Thomas the Tank Engine in “Just Say No to Drones”

By stork February 5, 2013family, FlyingNo Comments

It was a bright and sunny day on the island of Sodor, and all the trains were running on time except for one. Thomas the Tank Engine sat with his…

Being a Pilot is Ruining Me

By stork January 31, 2013family1 Comment

I'm not gonna go into all the obvious hazards of flying likes skin cancer, alcoholism, divorce and controlled flight into terrain. Those have been covered before. It's the day to…

Eight Years Ago We Wed – Since Then, I Became an Adult

By stork October 9, 2012family1 Comment

For years now (more than a decade of them) a friend and I have been playing the “who’s the first to become an adult game”. It started in college and…

It’s My Potty, You Can Cry If You Want To

By stork September 15, 2012family1 Comment

"The rules are pretty simple: tell me when you have to go potty, and we will go potty. Got it?" I say this at 8 a.m., feeling confident I'm gonna…

My Days are now in Song

By stork June 10, 2011familyNo Comments

I've been home for too long and apparently have had too few conversations with adults. I've been off for a few weeks and have spent the majority of that time…

$#*! my son’s caterpillar doesn’t say

By stork January 24, 2011familyNo Comments

Several times between now and the era of the stage 2 Huggie overnight diapers, I've fallen down the rabbit hole of sleep deprivation, awakening in the land of disproportionate proportions…

If you watch enough daytime TV… you will get cramps

By stork September 29, 2010family, FlyingNo Comments

The boy is almost nine months old, and since I've been back to work after paternity leave, I've been flying weekends. Although airport Chick-fil-A is closed on Sunday, it is…

I hate the phrase “knock on wood”

By stork March 26, 2010familyNo Comments

I despise the phrase "Knock on wood." It was only ever tolerable when sung by The Mighty Mighty Bosstones. If you're among those in the cockpit who've said, "I've never…

Google Voice Poetry

By stork January 22, 2010family, internet, nana, updateNo Comments

I started using Google Voice months back on my G1 Android phone to transcribe my voicemails. When you leave me a message, I get an email containing the text version…